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No. Sears and K-Mart actually merged to become a single company. This is actually a smart move by VW and it works out for Ford. It's a way to get around Trump Tariffs while also not committing billions to build another plant in the US. Ford gets some financial relief from the burden of running these plants. I actually expect these types of arrangements to become more common. Purely a speculative example based on no evidence, but Benz could contract with GM to build E-Classes in Hamtramck to get around the tariff. Or BMW using Lordstown to build 3-series. It would help both companies involved.

Sorry, but I'm of the opinion that it's time for purpose built work pickups to go back to being rugged. Ford started this bullish!t back in '97 making trucks soft looking like cars. In the 1500.. Cool.. make it buttoned down looking as that market is using them sometimes for family stuff... But the HD versions are 90% work, not to mention the people who are not seeing it fit is use are same ones who would be need a hand gettin down from one... Likes maiden from a carriage

*You're... jeez I gotta do this again for you?

Other than trucks, there hasn't really been cars I've lusted after that have been made since I've had a driver's license. We're talking a number of decades here.

Your all Thumbs! ?

Thanks for the help, folks. My old HP desktop Pavilion and HP monitor have been unplugged. After many years, my HP Office Jet printer gave up the ghost a few months ago. In their place is a new HP desktop Pavilion (12 GB RAM and Intel processor) and a bigger HP monitor. So far, they have been great. I also was able to buy them at a very good price. The price of the desktop computer went up quite a bit ... supply and demand. So, they sat there for a couple of months before I hooked them up, but it was smart to make the move and buy them a couple of months ago. This time, the printer is an Epson. I'm learning how to operate it, meaning the range of its capabilities. This one also has the 11x17 paper feature, which I wanted for this machine.

One thing's for sure.. my typing skills utilizing the 5 inch display on my Galaxy are horrible. That last post... I just went back and read over it.. Jesus the grammatical errors are overwhelming ?

Tesla sorta did. Their plant in California is the old Toyota-GM joint site called NUMMI and Telsa got (some) advice from Toyota on building electric cars.

What is it about people who already make many millions of dollars that they then have the desire to risk it all to nefariously make more. Shame about the long-range leaf... maybe we'll see it in Chicago?

I miss my '85 Lincoln. As much crap as 80's American cars get, that one was an absolute tank. Lincoln got everything right one that one and then completely mucked it up for the replacement model.

Spotted on Ebay! ??? https://www.ebay.com/itm/163412912666?ul_noapp=true

No, I think @dfelt was thanking me for posting the alert.

The layoffs will still happen, especially if Ford sells the plants to VW/Audi. This may well be more about cutting costs in Germany than just having vehicle capacity in the USA.

I expect RJ who is a very sharp individual and has the education chops to survive to get their auto's to market. To quote their web site: Rivian acquired a manufacturing plant near Normal, Illinois in the former Mitsubishi Motors plant in January 2017. As of 2017, the company planned for this plant to be the primary North American location for its manufacturing. The plant has a floor area of 2.4 million square feet. They also have a fully functional paint shop and receiving site.

I can only imagine how huge the grille is going to be on the GMC version...

Not so sure the 'anime frog' look is going to peel off many loyalists, but let's see if it even gets into production yet.

I know the front of the truck is polarizing, but https://www.rivian.com has placed a shot across their bow. The Rivian Electric Adventure Truck clearly has the chops to go places most of the other trucks cannot especially in the water.

Tesla needs to get into the pickup truck game and put these people in their place. I feel like the full size truck market, which is rather large, is just ignored by a lot of other companies.

Nicer looking than the Trax and Equinox but not sure it would have the same success as the Suzuki's of 25 years ago with the segment so crowded now.

My problem with Mazda is their relentless pursuit of "urban" style in their vehicles. They have nothing that is country-fied, like me. I do think they're purdy but they just don't fit my personality. The old B-Series truck and the Tribute were the last Mazdas that were remotely suited to country life. New ones are so cute I'd be afraid to get them dirty.

The new Jimny would make a neat 2dr Tracker.

Isn't that the SOP for GM? Fewer features and cheaper components on lower trim levels? Make you pay more to get the good stuff..

Question: how come Honda uses one AWD system in their Passport that is torque vectoring and can deliver power to one wheel with the best grip... but Chevrolet uses an inferior AWD system on the lesser Blazer AWD trims? Honda's system similar to Chevy's on the RS and Premiere is standard issue on the cheapest AWD Passport. What gives?

Perfect illustration of the fact that you CANNOT HELP SOMEONE WHO WILL NOT HELP THEMSELVES.

It's a good looking car, esp. like the front end compared to other recent Chevys. Really nice headlight & grille treatment. Profile is nice also, though I think the wheelbase is too short relative to the length...kind of look 'pinched' front certain angles.

If I try my damnedest to be fair, the Chevy Impala went out of production in 1985, returned for 1994-1996, left, only to reappear again in 2004. It is a real shame about the latest model though, as it is a real beauty... even convincing the (guilty as sin of hating on domestics) "Consumer Reports" magazine to name it as best in class.

Wow. Product development is dependent on one man's approval? That is really stupid. Hopefully the new guy will actually fix the product development issues and get the newer Leaf out to market.

I don't know what to do here. I assumed that, at any given time in my life, GM would sell sedans, coupes, and pony cars that were relevant to the times and have at least one or two vehicles that matched my taste in a set of wheels. Things are very different from a decade ago. It used to be that there were usually 2 to 3 cars that I couldn't decide between. If only I had that problem today ...

A legend in his own mind, yes.

Same way Tesla has stolen a ton of business away from the luxury sedan market. If Rivian can build that truck and not have a 1 year back log of orders and the production problems Tesla had, then I think they would do well.

Keep in mind that the next generation of IC engines will probably be built for at least a decade or more. They'll get upgrades in that time period, but the basic architecture could live for 15 years. And then consider that the engines they are planning aren't even here yet and won't be for another 2 years at least. 2001 was a long time ago. Cadillac was still building the Catera. There was still a final refresh of Cavalier yet to come. Pontiac had a full lineup and 7 years of life left. Oldsmobile was still in production with 5 models. It was the last year for Plymouth. It was the first year for CheersandGears.com A lot can change in 17 years.

But ya know Musk is the smartest person in the room and it would be a cold day in hell before he would snuggle up to Barra to have a joint manufacturing where they actually built a consistent auto and quickly off the assembly line.

Exactly. And it might keep Tesla profitable...they seem to have a lot of production issues.

Shady things like charging the company for personal expenses to the tune of millions. Backdoor arrangements to get paid more than the salary cap the board set. Apparently not declaring his proper and full income in Japan to their taxing authority.

Clearly Musk did not listen as he still wanted to roboticize in a way not done by the OEMs. That really seems to have mucked him up.

Maybe they could improve the Chevy HD front by attaching giant chrome fangs from the cross bar and at the bottom of the grille, like a shark mouth.

Ford on the other hand, builds IMHO a fantastic fantastic looking Super Duty series of truck. Not a fan per se of the Taurus.... I have consistently said I like the Ford Super Duty series of truck. (Enter sarcasm mode) On the plus side though, I think I would buy the Chevy over the Ford as no one would want to borrow the Chevy and everyone would want to borrow a Ford Super Duty. (Exit sarcasm mode) Dodge builds a fine looking truck, liking the new dodges more and more all of the time. People who do Cosplay and LARP will probably buy it if it does make it into production. That Frodo Baggins would actually drive this thing does give it a tiny bit of street cred. There are parts of the design I actually like, but they do not work together in a pleasing way to say the least.

WOW, what a sweet Ride. Saw this today, talk about amazing shape. The senior who owned it clearly takes pride in owning it! Also saw this old Muttang Convertible while driving.

Luckily, how hard a truck can do work can also be met without a hideous front fascia.

VW needs to have saleable product to need Fords production capacity. Subaru took over the market for funky cars for hipsterish people over a decade ago and never looked back. Golf sells in Tiny numbers here, huge in Europe. VW already has Puebla and Chattanooga. Their chance of needing more production capacity is dismal. Outside of a very few vehicles, very little is built in Germany for the US market IIRC, UAW is going to soon equal Unknown Auto Workers. More layoffs will follow.

Gov't couldn't even help the guy they made the face of the War on Poverty.

How do you figure?

A LOT. All of it is the front end. Everything else looks good and I love the bed step.

Good or bad, there's one thing you can't take away from hyundai; they have zero design language.

IF it's bolted in, sure, I can remove it. But I guarantee it'll be spot-welded in place. I need to go into the dealership and see if I can get inside one of these buggies.

Split grille.. what's not to love.. YES!!! Finally.. someone came out with a truck, that actually looks like its ready to do some fukking work. I've been saying it for a while.. what the deal with these pick-ups looking like they are trying to be something other than trucks. Is is BOLD??? BOLD is an understatement.

I see what they're doing here... and it makes me happy. Looks WAY weak now after seeing the stupendous new 2020 2500HD.

China is actually getting much better in some ways with innovation than we are, which is rather frightening. I don't think Sherrod Borwn, D-Ohio Senate, and Rob Portman, R-Ohio Senate, will save Lordstown with there meeting with Ms Barra. To me, public perception of GM still lags the quality of product, which is going to e the over riding Meta issue here.

Very true, the skateboard concept never took off in the 90's when it was all the rage at GM as it would reduce to 25% the number of folks needed to create an auto and the UAW is all about keeping idiot jobs to keep their leadership in power. We are so way past that. The new jobs will be in maintaining the robots that build stuff. Welcome to the 21st century until the 22nd century when robots repair robots and humans are useless as robots will create all due to AI.